(No Date) Civil War Store Card F-120A-3A, IN

Coin Details

Description

Store card of Re O.H.P. Ash's in Bowlinggrn, Indiana, struck during the 1862-1864 token era. Hoosier merchants in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and smaller towns issued Civil War tokens reflecting Indiana's diverse commercial landscape. Re O.H.P. Ash's issued 9 die varieties, more than most Civil War merchants. Struck in copper, this die combination (Fuld 120A-3A) is common. The absence of a date is typical for Civil War tokens produced during the 1862-1864 emergency currency period. Many Civil War tokens share common reverse dies, as die sinkers paired merchant-specific obverses with stock patriotic or advertising reverses. Store cards circulated as emergency currency after wartime hoarding removed federal coins from commercial channels. Civil War store cards are collected both as numismatic items and as historical documents of wartime American commerce.

Rarity Notes

Copper strikings are generally the most common metal variant for Civil War store cards, as copper was the standard planchet material mimicking the federal cent. With 9 cataloged varieties, Re O.H.P. Ash's was a minor token issuer.

Cross References

Fuld 120A-3A